Published: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 5:03 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 5:03 p.m.

NEW ORLEANS — The imperfect team will try to put the perfect ending on a near-perfect season Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl.

Florida's 11-1 football team will face off against a familiar face on the other sideline when the Gators take on Charlie Strong's Louisville Cardinals, the co-champions of the Big East.

"Coach Strong is still coach Strong," said Florida tackle Xavier Nixon. "But when we strap it up, it's all about Florida."

That has been the theme of this Sugar Bowl week in the Big Easy: Florida wanting to finish off a remarkable turnaround from last year's 7-6 season.

"We want to end it the right way," Florida coach Will Muschamp said.

The Gators will hope to put on a performance like the 2009 Florida team did when it set a record for total yards in a BCS game. This Florida team hasn't displayed that kind of firepower during an intense season where so many games came down to the fourth quarter.

That team in '09 saw the end of an era, four years of Tim Tebow. This team, which was one Notre Dame loss away from playing in the BCS National Championship Game, could be starting the beginning of a special one with Muschamp.

Florida is a two-touchdown favorite, but Muschamp dismissed any talk that the Gators won't take Louisville seriously.

"I think that's hogwash," Muschamp said at his final pregame news conference Tuesday. "I don't think there's anything to that at all. We have a chance to be the sixth Florida team to win 12 games. Our guys know what's at stake.

"Every game is important. When you're a competitor, if you play in a parking lot, it's important. At the University of Florida, we're expected to win them all."

Strong, the first African-American head coach in the Sugar Bowl, will be trying to get his team to 11 wins in its second-ever BCS bowl game. He spent time as an assistant at UF under Charley Pell, Galen Hall, Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer before taking over at Louisville after the 2009 season.

His last game as a UF assistant was in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

"I guess that really hasn't hit me yet," Strong said. "I haven't seen many of the players. So probably when I walk into the stadium for the first time tomorrow night and look across the sideline, you see a lot of those players you're able to recruit. Then it kind of hits you.

"Once you hear the band rev up and play the different songs that you're so familiar with, it hits you. But I've got to get my team ready and I've got to get refocused and get my team going."

<p>NEW ORLEANS — The imperfect team will try to put the perfect ending on a near-perfect season Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl.</p><p>Florida's 11-1 football team will face off against a familiar face on the other sideline when the Gators take on Charlie Strong's Louisville Cardinals, the co-champions of the Big East.</p><p>"Coach Strong is still coach Strong," said Florida tackle Xavier Nixon. "But when we strap it up, it's all about Florida."</p><p>That has been the theme of this Sugar Bowl week in the Big Easy: Florida wanting to finish off a remarkable turnaround from last year's 7-6 season.</p><p>"We want to end it the right way," Florida coach Will Muschamp said.</p><p>The Gators will hope to put on a performance like the 2009 Florida team did when it set a record for total yards in a BCS game. This Florida team hasn't displayed that kind of firepower during an intense season where so many games came down to the fourth quarter.</p><p>That team in '09 saw the end of an era, four years of Tim Tebow. This team, which was one Notre Dame loss away from playing in the BCS National Championship Game, could be starting the beginning of a special one with Muschamp.</p><p>Florida is a two-touchdown favorite, but Muschamp dismissed any talk that the Gators won't take Louisville seriously.</p><p>"I think that's hogwash," Muschamp said at his final pregame news conference Tuesday. "I don't think there's anything to that at all. We have a chance to be the sixth Florida team to win 12 games. Our guys know what's at stake.</p><p>"Every game is important. When you're a competitor, if you play in a parking lot, it's important. At the University of Florida, we're expected to win them all."</p><p>Strong, the first African-American head coach in the Sugar Bowl, will be trying to get his team to 11 wins in its second-ever BCS bowl game. He spent time as an assistant at UF under Charley Pell, Galen Hall, Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer before taking over at Louisville after the 2009 season.</p><p>His last game as a UF assistant was in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.</p><p>"I guess that really hasn't hit me yet," Strong said. "I haven't seen many of the players. So probably when I walk into the stadium for the first time tomorrow night and look across the sideline, you see a lot of those players you're able to recruit. Then it kind of hits you.</p><p>"Once you hear the band rev up and play the different songs that you're so familiar with, it hits you. But I've got to get my team ready and I've got to get refocused and get my team going."</p>